Meddling Authority
by BeardedBardiche
Summary: It's the new school year, and the pool needs cleaning! The Hero Club is on the task, but someone's got ideas for how this easy task should play out!


Karin took a deep breath. It was a really nice day. The new school year had barely started and the weather turned unusually warm. And Itsuki, the new Hero Club president now that Fuu graduated, received a request from the school to get the pool cleaned early. They all agreed it'd be a good idea, so after school that day, they found themselves at the edge of the pool in their gym outfits.

Minus Tougou, unusually. Itsuki said she was taking care of a different request, but didn't elaborate.

"Alright everyone, are you ready to make this the cleanest pool in the entire country?" Karin stood tall, ready to put all her built up energy into this task.

"Oooh!" Sonoko and Yuuna sounded off behind her. Itsuki, however, didn't join in. She seemed distracted. Even muttering to herself. Curious.

"Itsuki, did the teachers have anything special they wanted done?" Karin called out to the club president. It was more to get her attention on the task and see if she was okay; she didn't expect the cleaning to be anything different from usual.

"No, just the usual," Itsuki confirmed. It was an easy answer, but she was fidgeting. Karin raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"It's so nice to all be together again after the break, isn't it~?" Sonoko remarked. "Right, Yuuyu?"

"Yeah! I'm all fired up!"

Karin smiled. The break was nice and all, but getting back to club activities felt _right_ after all that happened not too long ago. Especially nice to see Yuuna back to her normal self. Something tugged at her as she watched the energetic girl chat away with Sonoko. Should she go talk to her? She wanted to. But there was no rush, they could catch up later, right?

"Okay, so, we should probably split into two groups." Itsuki's voice was soft and perhaps even uncertain. "We need… Yeah, yeah. Karin-san, Yuuna-san, you two can clean the far end of the pool." A pause. "Is that okay?"

Sonoko chimed in. "Ah, good idea, Ittsun~! We can do this side!" Sonoko glanced over at Karin for just a moment. "We haven't talked in so long! I'm sure Karin and Yuuna have a lot to talk about, too!"

"W-what makes you think we have so much to talk about?" Karin, taken off-guard, turned away slightly. "Well, if the club president says we should split up, I guess it can't be helped."

Ignoring Karin now, Sonoko's gaze drifted over to Yuuna. "Yuuyu's so lucky, right, Ittsun? Karin is prettiest when she's working hard! I'm jealous I'm not going to see her up close~."

"Wha–" Karin blushed just a little beneath her surprise. How could Sonoko say something like that so casually? And with Yuuna right there, too!

Itsuki laughed nervously. "Right?" Another pause.

Something was definitely up, Karin thought to herself. She watched Itsuki take a couple steps back and turn away. Karin strained her ears; was she saying something to herself?

"But…"

"Is that really a good…"

"... Alright. I'll do it."

Karin waited for Itsuki to turn back around. She made sure look like she was paying attention to Sonoko peering at Yuuna and smiling.

"W-wouldn't it be nice to get into the mood more?" Itsuki raised her voice a little to draw everyone's attention to her. "We'll be in the pool, I mean. So maybe…"

Karin waited expectantly. Itsuki was acting really strange today.

Itsuki looked over at Sonoko. "A-Anyway, the Hero Club should set the mood! So let's go get changed into our school swimsuits. Right, Karin?" She avoided looking at Karin.

Karin visibly balked. "Hah?! Why do I need to get into my swimsuit all of a sudden?" What was this? This was not something she ever expected to hear coming from Itsuki. From a certain sister, maybe, but Itsuki? Was she trying to fill the role?

"B-because you look good in it—" Itsuki took a deep breath and snuck a glance at Yuuna, who was listening intently to the exchange. "—f-from behind."

Karin's mouth dropped open. She didn't move for several seconds. Itsuki, for her part, turned a light shade of pink.

"Wow~, Ittsun's really forward today~! So many good suggestions!" Sonoko clapped her hands together, her eyes set alight.

Karin unfroze and shook her head. She had to think clearly. She locked eyes with Itsuki when she glanced up and took the opportunity to march up to her. "Itsuki, I don't know what's gotten into you, but—" She didn't finish her sentence.

"Hm? What's wrong, Karin-san?" Itsuki asked. She looked away again.

Karin put her hands on Itsuki's shoulders, keeping her in place. Her eyes darted from side to side, her head turning ever so slightly with them. She said nothing.

"Karin-san, what are you– ah, um…" Itsuki shifted mid-sentence. "Don't you think Yuuna would look good in the swimsuit, too?"

Karin's eye twitched. She almost responded – no, _yelled_ – back at Itsuki in embarrassment, but she knew better. There would be no point.

There! Karin's gaze fixed itself on some bushes in the distance. Her hand shot up to Itsuki's ear and tugged.

"Karin-sa—" Itsuki stopped just as Karin felt it fall into her hand. Karin smirked, raised it to her own ear and slipped it in.

"Fuu, I know you're there." From the earpiece, sounds of hurried shuffling. The bush she spotted rustled dramatically. "The next time I see you, you and I are going to have a little chat. Alone." Her grin widened. "I need a target for my blade training."

Karin watched the bush for several seconds longer. No movement. She couldn't see the glint of the binoculars or the tiny bits of unnatural color behind the leaves and branches anymore. Fuu had to have run away immediately. She sighed and pat Itsuki's shoulder with the hand still holding the girl in place. Whatever Fuu was up to, and she had a good guess after what happened before graduation, it wasn't exactly Itsuki's fault Fuu was using her.

"Itsuki-chan, go have a talk with your sister, okay? I get she's concerned about the club, but…" She trailed off. Itsuki started to protest, but Karin cut her off. "Don't worry, we'll take care of the pool."

"O-Okay." The girl nodded and, after glancing over at Sonoko, who gave her an all-too-enthusiastic thumbs up, she ran off in the direction Fuu probably escaped to.

"Sonoko."

The blonde girl looked back at Karin with a curious, innocent look. "What's wrong?"

"I know you're… you know what? Nevermind. Let's just get this done." Karin walked over and picked up three of the brooms laying nearby. They'd wasted too much time on Fuu's attempt at meddling. She ignored the two watching her. It was too embarrassing to look at Yuuna, and looking at Sonoko any longer meant looking at Yuuna.

"Karin-chan!" Yuuna shouted out of nowhere. "Do you know what Itsuki-chan was talking about? I want to see what she meant about looking good!" Her eyes got that excited look to them she was too familiar with. The ones she had such a hard time denying.

Karin flushed deep red.

 _Dammit, Fuu!_


End file.
